Women's Views on News |
| Shocking pregnancy discrimination revealed Posted: 05 Aug 2015 01:15 AM PDT
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) commissioned a programme of research to investigate the prevalence and nature of pregnancy discrimination and disadvantage in the workplace. The results in the ensuing report – Pregnancy and Maternity-Related Discrimination and Disadvantage First findings: Surveys of Employers and Mothers – are based on interviews with 3,034 employers and 3,254 mothers. The two surveys cover the views and experiences of employers and mothers on a range of issues related to managing pregnancy, maternity leave and mothers returning to work. The majority of employers reported that it was in their interests to support pregnant women and those on maternity leave and they agreed that statutory rights relating to pregnancy and maternity are reasonable and easy to implement. However, the research found that: Around one in nine mothers (11 per cent) reported that they were either dismissed; made compulsorily redundant, where others in their workplace were not; or treated so poorly they felt they had to leave their job; if scaled up to the general population this could mean as many as 54,000 mothers a year; One in five mothers said they had experienced harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working from their employer and /or colleagues; if scaled up to the general population this could mean as many as 100,000 mothers a year; and 10 per cent of mothers said their employer discouraged them from attending antenatal appointments; if scaled up to the general population this could mean up to 53,000 mothers a year. "This shocking report shows that many employers are in denial about the scale of pregnancy discrimination in their workplaces," the TUC’s General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, said. The report, she continued, "should also act as a wake-up call to ministers. "If they want more employers to comply with the law they shouldn't be charging women up to £1,200 to pursue a pregnancy discrimination claim." The TUC has published guidance on how employers can improve the experiences of pregnant women and new mothers. Called ‘The Pregnancy Test: Ending Discrimination at Work for New Mothers’, the guidance makes the five following recommendations: Employment tribunal fees should be abolished so women can afford to take their employers to court if they feel they've been treated unfairly because of their pregnancy or because they have recently become a mother If employers know they are unlikely to be taken to tribunal they are likely to continue with their bad behaviour, the TUC pointed out. Employers should publish return-to-work rates to see how many new mums go back to their jobs and how many are still in post a year on. They should also carry out exit interviews with any women who feel unable to go back to work, and act on the findings; The government should introduce better paid leave to allow dads to play a greater role in the care of their children and mothers a greater chance to progress at work; Flexible working must become more widespread, and men should have as much chance to work in this way as women. Flexible working should be promoted at the point of recruitment and it should be easier for parents to challenge an employer who turns down their request to work flexibly; and Employers who are taken to a tribunal over a pregnancy or maternity-related complaint should be forced to act to improve their employment practices when they are found to have discriminated against a female employee. To read or download ‘The Pregnancy Test: Ending Discrimination at Work for New Mothers’, click here. And the Equality and Human Rights Commission has now set up a new campaign for employers and employees showcasing useful guidance aimed at helping make pregnancy and maternity work for everyone, whether they are running a small business or a first-time mother planning her return to work. The campaign is called #worksforme and aims to celebrate the many pregnant/new mother employee employer success stories out there as well as giving businesses and employees the guidance they need. There are short film case studies to watch, packed with good practice and successful stories, as well as practical guidance in the form of useful infographics and quizzes you can take to test your own knowledge. There will also be an online toolkit of guidance and good practice for employers that anyone can use. It walks employers through the whole journey from finding out one of your employees is expecting, through to managing her successful return to work and on from there. For, as O'Grady said, "Becoming pregnant should be one of the happiest times in a woman's life, not a period of anxiety and stress. "These findings must not be swept under the carpet. "The current culture of bullying, harassment and ill-treatment that many female workers experience must be consigned to the past."  |
| Women and humanitarian interventions Posted: 05 Aug 2015 01:09 AM PDT
Major humanitarian emergencies over the past decade, such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the Kashmir Earthquake, continue to highlight the importance of gender equality in emergency interventions. Response and recovery programmes have been subject to criticisms about gender-insensitive and gender-blind practices that have worsened the situations of women and girls. As a result, gender equality programming (GEP) has become more central to discussions about humanitarian intervention. Gender equality programming recognises that the needs and vulnerabilities of women, men, girls and boys in any given crisis-affected population will be specific and different. Key to being able to identify and address these disparate needs is a contextual gender analysis. It examines gender relationships in the beneficiary population, including roles, access to and control of resources, and the constraints different groups face relative to each other. It is through this understanding that a gender-mainstreamed humanitarian programme can help ensure equal benefits to all people and avoid placing some at risk. It is also essential that men and women have equal opportunities to actively participate in any humanitarian action, including at the strategic planning and decision-making level. Both women and men need to be able to provide their own input into the programmes developed to improve the conditions of their households and communities. But despite a number of developments in policy and practice aimed at integrating gender equality and women's empowerment into humanitarian action, what remains missing is a strong evidence base that demonstrates just how gender equality programming is essential to ensuring an effective, inclusive, rights-based humanitarian response. To address this gap, in 2013 UN Women – on behalf of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Gender in Humanitarian Action and with co-funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada – commissioned the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex to undertake a research study, titled "The Effect of Gender Equality Programming on Humanitarian Outcomes". Its aim was to assess whether or not such programming has improved humanitarian outcomes and, if so, why. A report has now been published that presents the findings of this research, which was based on interviews with more than 2,000 crisis-affected households gathered for four case studies conducted in Kenya (the Dadaab refugee camps and the county of Turkana), Nepal and The Philippines. Drawing on both the qualitative and quantitative data collected, researchers were able to develop a unique new methodology for assessing the degree to which gender equality and women’s empowerment has been integrated into humanitarian programmes, using inputs from the beneficiaries themselves. The report presents overall findings, draws comparative conclusions from the four case studies and discusses practical recommendations for integrating gender equality programming in future humanitarian interventions in ways that strengthen effectiveness and inclusiveness. To read the report, click here.  |
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